An American rabbinical student is suing a Jerusalem pizzeria for denying him service based on his sexual orientation.
Sammy Katner, who is studying at the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College in Israel, entered the pizza shop wearing a gay pride T-shirt, one day after the Jerusalem Pride March.
Katner says the man behind the counter saw the shirt, asked if Katner was gay, and was promptly told him to get out.
He shared the story, along with his disbelief, on Facebook:
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“Today, for the first time in my life, I was denied service at a pizza store for being who I am (in Jerusalem). I walked in with the shirt below, and the guy behind the counter said ‘Atah Homo (are you gay)?’ I said yes. He said ‘out’ and pointed at the door. My jaw dropped, and he instructed my classmates and I to leave.”
Today, for the first time in my life, I was denied service at a pizza store for being who I am (in Jerusalem). I walked…
Posted by Sammy Kanter on Friday, August 3, 2018
It is illegal for businesses to refuse service based on sexual orientation in Israel.
Katner’s lawsuit seeks damages of about $9,100.
“This is an important precedent for Jerusalem,” Rabbi Noa Sattath, the director of the Israel Religious Action Center, said.
The shop owner first told Israeli media that he would fire the employee if the story turned out to be true, but later walked back the comment and said he believed it was a misunderstanding — the employee was probably trying to close the shop ahead of the start of Shabbat.
See what he did there?
“Sammy is not interested in the money for himself. He is interested in the precedent,” Sattath, who is working on the case, added.
Sattah has also said any money he gets from the suit will be donated to local groups that support the advancement of LGBTQ causes.
The case is scheduled for January 31.
Amalgamate
nothing lower than a bigoted minority-pay up bittches!!
Kangol
Who’s a “minority”? Jews are the majority in Israel, you know.
Wicked Dickie
No, a bigoted majority is worse, because they can get more support for their hatred.
DCguy
They broke Israeli law. Pay up bigots!
Captain proton
not so simple. He’s a reform Jew and the ultra orthodox factions have a stranglehold on the government. If they get wind of this, they could make the whole thing political.
fur_hunter
HEY….The store owner is going to pull the same $H!T that the baker in Colorado did here. He refused based on his religious beliefs. I don’t think that Isreal has the same concept of Separation of Church and State that exists here. So…the shop owner just might win the case. We shall see, won’t we?
PinkoOfTheGange
No they shouldn’t, there is no cut out for closing early for the sabeth in their civil rights laws.
Lacuevaman
better to get ordered out of a pizzeria then get a slice that someone spat on….
also, pizza in israel? can’t even imagine what that would be…. guess we aint getting pepperoni…
Captain proton
We have Domino’s and various pizza places that are not kosher in Israel, but probably not in Jerusalem.
Heywood Jablowme
“Thou shalt not put chickpeas, artichokes and tahini on a pizza, it is an abomination.”
– somewhere in the Book of Leviticus
Robothedestroyer
@Haywood Artichokes on pizza is amazing and don’t you forget it. As long as they are roasted and seared.
Im… hungry now. -_-
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Six million Jews were slaughtered in the Holocaust. Because of bigotry and hatred.
This sub human, smcubag, vile, noxious, piece of filth spewes hatred on another group?
Hitler would be so proud…